I almost decided not to share this "Day In Our Life" post because it wasn't as great as most of mine. I didn't have time to pull out the big camera and take a thousand photos like I normally do. Most of the time, these posts consist of 40+ photos, this one is only thirteen. It was a busy day, full of fun things to do and very little time to think about capturing it all. But, then I realized how most of our days are busy and full now. We have two boys to keep us on our toes, literally chasing them and playing with them and watching them grow up before our eyes. So, I decided to share the little bits of yesterday, because like I always say, I want to remember the details!! 

1.16.19 // wednesday

8:00 - I wake up from hearing Asher cry out form his crib. Peter goes to get him and brings him to our bed, which already has a sleeping Solomon, between us. He made his way to our bed around 5AM like most mornings. I nurse Asher while Solomon still sleeps, then Asher is ready to wake up his brother. Sweet giggles and hugs start our day! 

Since it is Wednesday, that means we have to rush around and get ready for M2M! Of course Asher sleeps in a little later than normal (usually he wakes up around 7:30) so we all have to hurry. Thankfully, Peter is still home also and helps get the boys in the car after they are dressed and ready, then I give him a ride to work on the way! 

8:40 - On our way to M2M and I'm one of those crazy ladies who does her makeup at the red lights. Whatever works, right?!? 

8:55 - We make it to the church just in time and I drop the boys off at their classes so I can go to my bible study. 

11:15 - The bible study is over and I pick up the boys, have a quick potty break and then we head outside to throw rocks and run around with friends for a little bit. One of Solomon's favorite parts of his day after M2M. 

11:30 - We drive home for lunch and Peter is there also. He always walks home from work since his office is a four minute walk. I love that he can come home almost every day. 

11:50 - Asher falls asleep in the car so I take him upstairs to rock and nurse him a bit before laying him down. Peter makes Solomon and PB & Honey sandwich and eats lunch with him. 

12:10 - Since Peter is home, I need to run to the post office to mail some Color Street nail sets to customers. It's so much easier to run in and do that without the boys! 

12:20 - Peter walks back to work and Solomon gets ready to sit down and start his homeschooling time. We start with writing his name and working on A, B and C. 

12:40 - We normally start our day with a bible story and his drawing journal, but today was a little different because of M2M. I was planning on skipping school work on Wednesday and Friday, but Solomon has been asking to do it anyways. Since our Wednesday is usually very busy, I just let him take the lead on those days. 

1:20 - We finish up his art work and workbook pages and we finish by reading Brown Bear Brown Bear, since the colors for today's lesson was brown and blue. I find that most of the homeschooking time takes about an hour a day, give or take. I feel like that is the perfect amount of time to keep his attention and for him to still have fun learning. Since this is all new to us, I'm letting him take the lead with time management for now.

1:30 - Solomon needs to use the bathroom (hallelujah, things are getting much easier with that situation!!) and I start folding some laundry and switch the wet clothes over to the dryer. 

1:45 - Solomon gets a treat and plays with some toys in the playroom while we wait for Asher to wake up. 

2:00 - I end up waking him up since we have to go to Kangaroo Jax to meet all the cousins to play. I change his diaper and we get in the car to go. 

2:30 - We get to Kangaroo Jax and the kids have a great time getting some energy out. 

4:20 - We leave Kangaroo Jax and go to Trader Joe's to pick up some groceries we need. 

5:00 - Once we are home I start getting dinner ready while the boys play. 

5:45 - Peter gets home and the boys are both losing their mind since they are hungry. I turn on an episode of Super Why on Netflix so they can relax on the couch with Peter will I finish up dinner. 

6:08 - We sit down to eat and Solomon very happily prays for the food so he can dig in! We have fish and rice with broccoli and he devours his plate. Sweet boy says thank you and tells me how good his food is several times! Asher eats a ton of broccoli and half a filet of fish also. I love it when we have a fast and easy dinner at home that everyone loves. 

The days are so busy, but they are full of learning, laughing and a lot of grace for all of us.

These are the days that I will always want to remember!!

Solomon // three years.

Birthday eves are always so hard for me. I look at all the MANY photos from the year leading up to another year older, which always leads me into the rabbit hole of the pictures from the years before. I remember so many little details and then realize I've already forgotten so much. It is all so bittersweet. This past year has been a big one for Solomon. It has been full of change in so many ways and I love the little man that he is evolving into.

Peter and I were talking last night about how sweet and kind he is. How his heart is so good and he's such a lovable boy. Like all toddlers, he has his moments, but most of the time he is such a joy to be around. I'm starting to see all the little things that make him Solomon, and I love them all. Even the tricky parts that make some days seem long, I'm proud of who he is becoming. I'm thankful for the Solomon I see when he doesn't see me watching. The sweet and loving brother, the funny and silly cousin & the always adventurous almost three year old. 

Three, wow.... I can't believe I will have a three year old tomorrow. I really can't wait to see what the next year will bring for Solomon. I pray that his heart will grow and evolve into an even better person, and that he will learn more about Christ and His love for us. I truly believe that the whole reason he was given to us, was so we could teach him and show him how wonderful our Lord is, so that we can give him back again. I know that God will do big and amazing things with his life, and I'm so thankful that we get to be a part of that. Now for some little details about Solomon at 3 years old!

eating // he has definitely become a little more picky, but will still try almost anything. Loves pasta, beef, liking chicken finally, asparagus, any kind of fruit, chips and salsa, and of course peanut butter and honey sandwiches like daddy! We are thankful that he is still brave when it comes to trying new foods

sleeping // the sleep changes in the past year have been incredible! It's kind of funny how it used to stress us out, but now he just gets it. I'm really PRAYING that will be the case with the potty some day soon!!! Still napping most days, but can handle no nap if we are busy. 

wearing // all 3T thanks to a big growth spurt he recently had. I didn't realize it until I tried on some of his fall clothes from last year that are all too small. I'm excited to get some cute new things for him when the cooler weather comes!

loves // coloring, puzzles, playing pretend with any kind of toy (which I LOVE to listen to), reading books,  swimming, singing songs, watching netflix shows after his nap every day, playing outside and watching me cook dinner while sitting on the counter. 

Before we take a little stroll down memory lane (and make me cry big tears), I wanted to share his answers to a few questions. I did this on his 2.5 post and loved it! 

favorite book // my Jesus book (the Jesus Story Book Bible)
favorite food // smoothies
favorite song // My God is Powerful 
favorite toy // his dress up guy (This)
favorite thing to do // color with markers

So, happy almost birthday to my big boy! I love you more than you could ever know & I'm so incredibly thankful for you!!! Now, on to a few of my favorites from the past year, and a couple from before. 

& just for fun.... 

Turning One and Turning Two

Solomon Says // 004

Time for another post with the funny and adorable things this sweet boy says lately.

I'll start with some of the random things he has said, that I was quick enough to save on my phone, before I forgot. There are so many, every single day, I wish I could remember them all!

piggy mommy // I was laughing one night, and I snorted (which definitely happens sometimes!), then he looked at me very seriously and said "No, mommy, you not a pig!" 

back scratch // my back was hurting so bad one day and I told him to be careful with mommy because my back was hurting. He then started to rub my back and said, "I need to scratch it, mommy?" I could have died, so sweet!!

compliments // Solomon is all about the compliments now and it's really sweet to hear them all the time. It started with him saying he loves my hair, which is probably because that is what everyone tells him when they see him. He was even telling Peter he loved his hair one night also. But, now he will say all kinds of things like.... I love your eyes, I love your shirt & even I love this sandwich mommy, thank you. It's pretty sweet!!!

& then some of the thing she says all day everyday. Or at least it feels that way, haha!

nunkin else // instead of something, it's nunkin. And it's so dang cute!!! "Mommy, can we watch nunkin else" 

what's that sound // if he hears something, he instantly puts his finger on his ear, then tilts his head and says "what's that sound?!" It's so funny and cute. He looks like a little old man who can't hear well. 

do I have teeth // ever since Asher has gotten his first two teeth, Solomon is obsessed with asking everyone if he has teeth. He will come up to them and give a big smile and say "Do I have teeth???", then he'll ask if you have teeth, once you you tell him he does have teeth. So silly! 

it's okay // anytime he does anything he shouldn't do, and knows he shouldn't do it... he says "I'm sorry mommy, it's okay!" I'm pretty sure he learned this because he would say I'm sorry for anything and everything for a while, and I would tell him it's okay. Now he tells me, especially when it's NOT ok.

Solomon // two + a half.

First of all, what an emotional blog post to write. Like, super emotional. My baby, the sweet little boy who made me a mommy, is two and a half today. The statement I live by has never been so true, "the days are long but the weeks are fast!" I'm definitely learning this is even more true as a mommy of two, but I'm trying my best to soak in every second.

There are so many little things that I love about our big boy and I could talk about him for hours. I feel so thankful to be his mommy and spend my days with him. My mother-in-law recently said something to me that I haven't been able to stop thinking about. We were over for lunch one day, and Solomon was being his normal cute self, and she said "you are so lucky, you get to live with him" and it's so true. I am so lucky, and living with Solomon is one of the biggest blessings I've ever experienced. He is such a sweet soul and I pray that he will do so many things for God and His Kingdom one day. I can honestly say that he is one of my favorite people and I genuinely like him as a person. I love him and I like him, which is a really awesome way to feel about your child. I thought it would be sweet to share some of my favorite parts of Solomon for this special post....

It's hard to find a place to start when listing out sweet things about Solomon. He is so silly and sweet and I think he is the perfect little combination of me and Peter. He's hardly ever still and so full of energy but it's one of my favorite parts about him. It can drive me crazy sometimes when I'm trying to put on his shoes or read him a story, but I love that he is full of life. I don't think anyone could ever call him boring, that's for sure.

A few of his favorite things at right now include puzzles (ALL THE TIME!), coloring, eating all day long, watching Puppy Dog Pals, anything to do with Star Wars (especially playing with daddy), spending time outside, making up songs and singing them to himself, playing with his cousins and friends and kissing his baby brother a little too much. If that's possible.

He loves to be on the go and experience new things, but he also loves consistency and repetitive events. I can tell he will love traditions like I do, and I'm looking forward to him helping me keep traditions alive for our family. I really think he is going to be the best biggest brother for our family. I believe the way he already loves and cares for Asher is just the beginning of his heart for this family. Just the other day while he was in the middle of playing with toys, he stopped what he was doing and walked over to Asher and said "I love you baby Asher." Nothing prompted this at all. Asher wasn't crying or making any noise, he was just laying in his rock and play quietly. I wasn't saying anything to either of them, just letting them be quietly on their own for a bit in the living room. The TV might have been on and I was probably looking at my phone, but I'm so glad I didn't miss this moment. It's little things like that moment, that make me love Solomon so much. Not the fact that he was saying I love you to his brother, but the way he does things like this on his own. Not being prompted or told to do it. He loves his little brother so much and I hope that love will only grow stronger. I pray for it to become stronger for his family, but also for strangers and the lost people of this world. I want the Holy Spirit to soften his heart in a way that we never could as his parents, making it soft and moldable, so he will welcome Christ into his heart one day.

I know I have shared a few of the Solomon Says posts recently but, I could never share enough of the little things he says that make me almost burst daily. It's not only what he says, but how he says it, that I love so much. As he's talking he will use his eyes to look around and you can see his wheels turning in his head. It's the neatest thing to have a conversation with him. I love watching him form sentences and learn new things now. The other night at the dinner table, he asked for more water so Peter put some fresh ice and water in his cup. He then looked down in the cup and his eyes looked back at us with his big and excited face and he said, "me got more ices!". Peter and I just smiled and it was so cute to watch him try and use a plural form of ice. I love how his brain is working more than ever and how he can verbalize it now. We may have to remind him to calmly use his words more than ever now, but it is so fun to watch him as he really learning to use his words.

His love of food is another way that he is a lot like his parents! His favorite type of restaurant is a tapas style menu so he can try a lot of different things. He has always been a great eater for us but now that he can vocalize what he wants it's super cute. 90% of the time he requests macaroni and cheese but he will eat almost anything. The other 10% of the time he will request fruit. He almost always has food on his face because of his love of snacks. Taking him out to restaurants is always fun, no matter what kind of food is involved because it's fun to eat with him. I don't know many toddlers that you can say that about, and for that I am extremely thankful! He also loves to sing Happy Birthday all the time in hopes that a birthday cake will appear.

I thought it would be fun to do a little question list with Solomon and see what his answers are. I think it would be so fun to keep up the tradition for every birthday... I love these and the crazy things that kids say!

favorite book // Cat in the Hat
favorite food // Macaroni & Cheese (surprise, surprise!)
favorite song // Jonah & the whale
favorite toy // stickers
favorite thing to do // color

I can't believe our first baby is already two and a half. It's crazy how quickly the years have flown by and I feel like he will be going to high school any day now. But seriously, it has gone by way too fast and I know that it won't slow down. I try my best to soak in every moment and take way too many pictures so I can remember all the little details of our life. I never want to forget what it feels like to hug his little toddler body and hear him say I love you mommy. I can't even think about the day when his perfect little curls are gone (please God, don't let him ask to cut his hair off too soon!!!) and he doesn't skip and hop around everywhere. The only thing that is keeping me sane is knowing that each phase of life is going to be sweeter in some way. Just like each stage of his life so far has been better than the last. I don't even understand how it can get better, but it continues to blow my mind how he can become sweeter and funnier and can I fall more in love with him. He's my baby boy, and he will always be my baby boy. I read a quote on Instagram recently that made me cry big mommy tears that I knew didn't have anything to do with the fourth trimester hormones. They were tears that I would cry many times. Tears for birthdays as my boys get one year older, tears for graduations as they inch a little further from home, tears for their heartaches that I don't have any control over, and tears for a season of life that flew by way too quickly. The quote I read said...

"We have split now, into two, into the milk and the days and long naps, and the tiny parts of you that I can never tire of, will never -- even as you grow and become a man; I will stop you every now and then, touch your hair and cheek and long for the dark nights I thought would never end." 

Those words are the truth. And as you run around the living room right now playing your silly version of Star Wars, I see my little boy. The little boy that has grown from a little baby, and who will grow into a little man, and then a grown man. You are my baby, and my baby you will always be. This morning, after I put your baby brother in his crib, I crawled into the bed beside you while you were still sleeping. I wrapped my arms around you and put my nose into your neck. You were deep in sleep and breathing heavy and I thought about all those nights that I held you until you fell asleep. I don't get to do that lately since your daddy has taken over that task and I miss it so much. As I held you in my arms, I prayed for you. I prayed for your heart to find the Lord, I prayed for you to work hard to be a good person, and I prayed for our family. I love you so much, sweet Solomon. I am so proud of who you have become already, and I can't wait to see who you will become in all our days ahead together! You have changed me and made me a better person, just because of your need for me.

Solomon Says // 003

This edition of Solomon Says is a little more of what I had in mind when I wanted to start these series of posts. Instead of a bunch of things Solomon says all the time, there are a couple things that he has said randomly, that made me die laughing. He really is so funny, and I never know what he is going to say. 

(notice the bruise and cut on his head from a little too much fun with his cousin Jonah. Boys.)

a compliment // before leaving the house one day recently, I went upstairs to put my hair in a bun. My hair has finally gotten a little bit longer so I can do the top knot kind of bun again. As I came downstairs I sat down beside him to put his shoes on. He instantly looked at me and said.... "oh, me like your hair like that!" 

I almost fell over. It was so matter of fact and funny but also very sweet!! 

brotherly love // 90% of the time is super sweet brother time, but Asher can get a little cranky and cry a lot. We were having a long morning and he was crying non stop. I was trying my best to stay calm and comfort him anyway I could. Solomon was playing in the living room and walking around and he casually said.... "UGH, stop crying baby asher!!" 

It was so funny because it was exactly what I was thinking but trying not to say in front of Solomon! 

that sneaky little grin... kills me!

And here are a few of the things he has been saying a lot lately that I love.... 

he's waking up // from day one with Asher, anytime he would open his eyes he would exclaim "he's waking up!!!" and I always thought it was so cute. But, now he does it when I don't want him to wake up, haha. Like when I put him in the carseat and I'm trying to keep him asleep... "he's waking up!!!". When he's finished nursing and I'm trying to get him upstairs to his crib without waking up... "he's waking up!!!". Pretty much anytime I want him to stay asleep but he barely opens his eyes.... "he's waking up!!!". It makes things interesting, that's for sure! 

what is that // this is totally normal for a toddler because they always want to know what things are, but it's kind of funny right now since he asks about everything. Even things he knows. "Mommy, what is that?" for a fork, a spoon, a door, really anything. Sometimes I don't even know what he's asking about because he will just randomly say it. I think it's his little way of having conversations now. I try my best to stay patient and answer all his questions, even when they are silly!

love you // Solomon never really said I love you back, or it seemed to take a long time for him to do it. I would tell him to say it back to me and he would, but he'd never do it on his own. Now he says it back a lot, with an I love you too, which is so sweet to hear. Recently my grandma was over to spend some time with the boys, and she said I love you more to Solomon, when he told her that he loved her. Later that night my mom was telling him bye and that she loved him, he then told her I love you more. I thought my mom was literally going to bust! It was so sweet. Now he says I love you more a lot, but I always try to respond to him with, I love you most! Cause I do... he is the sweetest boy and I love him so darn much!

Solomon Says // 002

I thought we were due for another Solomon Says post, since he seems to be saying so much lately. I love that I can have full on conversations with my little guy now. This stage is so fun!!! 

OH! // he says this constantly and I think it's so funny. If we are talking to him and explaining something new, he will look at us like he completely understands and casually says, OH! Then if he's doing something he knows he shouldn't be doing, and we correct him, he will respond with the OH! like he had no idea. He also loves to say OH! while playing with his toys or running around the house talking to himself.

baby brother talk // it's not so much what he says but how he says it to Asher. Whenever he's talking to Asher he will have a change in his voice and sounds even sweeter and constantly rubs his head while talking to him. He loves him so much and I love watching them together.

otay // I know he picked this up from Peter because he says it a lot, mainly when he's starting to read a book to Solomon. He will open the book and say OKAY before starting to read. Now anytime Solomon is reading a book to himself, he opens it and says "otay". Kills me, I love how he watches Peter and copies him all the time. He will also say "otay mommy", when I ask him to do something, which is so cute! But, the cutest way he says it has to be when he is using that sweet little voice when Asher is crying and he tells him "it's otaaaaaay".

imagination // just in the past few weeks his imagination is going wild and you never know what he's going to say or do. It's so funny to watch him play now and hear the things he comes up with. Especially how he changes who he is constantly. If I call him Solomon he might respond with, no I'm a tiger, or a dinosaur, or even Luke Skywalker (he's a little obsessed with Star Wars right now) but just a couple days ago he told me he was his cousin Giovanni. The entire night he was Giovanni and  would tell us that Solomon was playing outside or in the playroom. Then he would go and find him but he wasn't Solomon again for a while. Anytime I would try and call him Solomon he'd say "No, I'm Giovanni, be nice!" It's so fun to see him pretend and come up with these things on his own.

Solomon Says // 001

I've been wanting to keep some of the cute things that Solomon says in one place, since he is talking more than ever now. I honestly never know what is going to come out of his mouth. I'm know this will only increase with age, but it's pretty adorable in this season of his life right now. I love watching his mind work and put things together, it's like magic. Motherhood, just a whole bunch of magic!!

I also couldn't wait to share a couple of my favorite shots of Solomon from our maternity session with Molly Neely Photography. I'm excited to share some more in the next week or two, and I'm really excited about our newborn family session, after Asher joins us!

nong // He cannot say the word gone at all. This is probably what pushed me to make a list of things he's saying because it is so funny and we just don't understand it. I know I'll miss it once he starts saying it correctly. Anytime he finishes his food or a snack he exclaims, all nong, with this big smile. It's hilarious, and so precious!

sour cream // This isn't really something he says but he is obsessed with sour cream. In the grocery store he will scream it when we are near the dairy section and he sees the sour cream section. We were at dinner one night and we were trying to decide what kind of sampler appetizer to get at a mexican restaurant, so we asked Solomon if he would want salsa or guacamole since he loves both... he didn't even hesitate and said sour cream. HA! We died laughing. He definitely has a mind of his own.

baseball // Everything is about baseball lately. Baseball shoes, baseball gloves (even his garden gloves he wears around the house is for baseball now), and any kind of stick is a baseball bat. Poor kid wants to watch baseball on TV all the time but now that the world series is over, there isn't any to watch. The majority of his day would be spent outside playing baseball if he could. I love it! I've always been a fan of baseball since my brother grew up playing and I always dreamed of having little baseball players of my own, so I'll take it. I can't wait to get him involved with T-ball and even watch The Sandlot with him one day.

no, I'm fine // this is a new thing that he has just started in the last week that cracks me up. Anytime I'm trying to do something he doesn't want, like wipe his nose or change his diaper or even clean his hands after eating, he tells me - No, I'm fine! Usually with his hand up in the air at me. It's so funny... I think he might have picked this up from his cousin Jonah, but I don't mind cause it's so cute.

Gigi's Big Boy // my mom has taught him that he is her big boy, so when she asks him, whose big boy are you & he responds with Gigi's Big Boy! Sometimes he will say no, Gigi's baby too which is pretty cute. Then you can say what about mommy and he'll say Mommy's monkey, and Mama (my grandma) is Mama's Buddy. Another cute one is when we ask whose best friend are you, and he'll say Wyatt's Best Friend, which I love also. It's so fun to see him love people and care for them in his own special way.

I can't wait to see this little monkey grow up!!! He's changing more and more lately, and I know that won't slow down anytime soon. He is my little monkey, and I love it! 

Tool Time Birthday Party.

TWO. Our boy is almost officially two! I'm still holding on to the next three days because he's still one in my book, but he had a GREAT time on Saturday morning at his party. The house was filled with little kidos running around and playing, sweet friends and family that love Solomon, and my heart was so full it could have burst. 

I was so excited to use my Cricut to make the personalized tool belts for each of the kids as a favor. I stuffed each one with a hammer, screw driver and some other little tools so they could help Solomon celebrate. I also used the machine to make the iron on for Solomon's shirt and the banners. Of course I had help from my mom and sister-in-law, because I have no clue how to use that crazy machine!! ;) 

The fireplace decoration was so fun to design!!! I also love how the tool box and one of the tools hanging was my grandpas. He would have loved this party so much, and I know he'd be crazy about Solomon!

Wyatt didn't want to wear the tool belt, but his face at his mommy wearing it below is hilarious! 

Solomon's face.... so cute and in disbelief that he get's to hammer nails into pieces of wood!!!

I saw so many fun ideas on pinterest for a tool party so I can't take the credit for this one! My mom wrapped foam floral blocks with wood printed contact paper and I bought silver golf tees for the nails. It was so cute to watch the kids wack away at them, they had a blast! 

Then the time came for what Solomon was dreaming about for weeks. The Birthday cake!!!!

I get to eat this???? All of it?

Thumbs up, and a big TWO! His little hand motions and dimples kill me!!!

these two, they have my heart!!! 

Thank you to everyone who joined us to celebrate our little guy. He is so loved, and I love all of you for it!!